Plan to save city jobs shot down

The Board of Supervisors failed Tuesday to approve a $7 million bailout plan to rescind layoff notices for more than 500 city and school district workers, about 150 of whom would lose their jobs altogether and the others who would be reassigned or see their pay cut.

The vote dealt a crushing blow to the politically powerful Service Employees International Union Local 1021, the largest city employees union that lobbied hard for passage and turned out hundreds of city workers to City Hall rallies and hearings.

Standing firm on the other side of the debate was the Newsom administration. Mayoral representatives said the layoffs were part of the budget-balancing deal approved by the Board of Supervisors over the summer and, while unfortunate, are necessary because of the city’s bleak fiscal outlook.

The money would have come out of the city’s $25 million reserve account, although backers of the bailout raised the prospect of getting money from other city or state funding sources. In the end, seven of the board’s 11 supervisors voted in favor of the supplemental budget request — one shy of what is required under City Charter.

Like many controversial decisions at City Hall, nothing is settled easily. The board voted to cancel the vote and send the proposal back to committee for further discussion. The first layoffs are expected to go into effect next week.